Local Police Receive $120,000 to Integrate Mental Health Services

HYANNIS – A total of $120,000 has been secured by regional lawmakers to help integrate mental health services with Barnstable and Yarmouth Police Departments. 

The funds, utilizing federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money, will allow departments to hire mental health counselors to support police when responding to mental health crisis calls, said Cape & Islands State Senator Julian Cyr (D-Truro) and Second Barnstable State Representative Kip Diggs (D-Osterville) in a joint statement.

“We ask police officers on the Cape and Islands to wear many hats and respond to our most trying moments,” said Cyr in the statement.

“With three out of four calls to local police involving mental health, addiction, homelessness and domestic violence, it is essential that police departments have trained personnel to better respond to these sorts of crises.”

Diggs previously advocated for both local funding initiatives and filed a bill in the State Legislature on the issue.

“Having spoken to the police chiefs of both Barnstable and Yarmouth, it has been relayed to me that our police departments could use some additional resources and tools towards developing a better roadmap of how to work with the mentally ill more effectively,” said Diggs.

The lawmakers said that the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of mental health services, and that resources for responding to mental health emergencies have been lacking for years. 

According to Cyr and Diggs, about 20 percent of police calls nationwide are related to mental health or substance use crises.

Both Barnstable Chief of Police Matthew Sonnabend and Yarmouth Chief of Police Frank Frederickson said that having the expanded mental health resources will improve their ability to serve the community. 

Each department will receive $60,000.

About Grady Culhane

Grady Culhane is a Cape Cod native from Eastham. He studied media communications at Cape Cod Community College and joined the CapeCod.com News Center in 2019.



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